Most interesting as a story about how to kill capitalism, though it didn’t convince me that’s a good idea. The framework of it was interesting to listen to.
Maybe I’m misinterpreting the intent, but it seems this novel is an argument. It’s ok as a polemic, but I didn’t care for it as a novel.
It made me think about the structure of power and what is moral action when dealing with global problems. The fact that the forces of his are willing to, say, murder a bunch of people that are “mostly” businesspeople and captains of industry is portrayed as a moral good. Hard disagree. But this isn’t portrayed as the actions of particular characters with particular motivations, which would have at least made it a good read. It’s just plot-important background to the social change needed to save the world.
That’s all fine, I guess. Sometimes arguments have conclusions that seem repugnant. But it’s tied to a story that’s wide-ranging and largely boring. I think I would have liked it a bit better if I had read it. My mind tended to wonder during the wonky parts.
There’s a chapter that’s just people around the world introducing their dogooder social projects. It’s not setting anything up. There’s no plot attached to it. it’s just a very long exercise in spitballing charity concepts with clever names in a great many different accents. In a book, this might be fun to skim. In audio, this is a crime.
2/5, would read another book with the same premise.